The Butler County Storm Water District is hosting the 2013 webcast series produced by the Center for Watershed Protection. This training session is being provided FREE of charge. Don't miss out! Bring your lunch and take advantage of a great training opportunity.

About the Webcast: Mastering the Language of Talking to Elected Officials

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” –Abraham Lincoln

Abe was on to something when we contemplate talking to elected officials about stormwater and watershed issues. It is not that we shouldn’t speak out, but we often are unsure of what words to use, how much detail to include, and how, exactly, to inspire action. Whether you are local, state, or federal government staff, representing a watershed or civic group, have a stormwater-related business, or a concerned citizen, we know a few things to be true about communicating with elected officials: (1) their available time may be very short, (2) they have multiple other issues to deal with, and (3) they may not understand the issue. This webcast will specifically address the best ways to approach and communicate with elected officials, and will feature both noteworthy bloopers as well as success stories.

To date, speakers for this webcast are:• Chester (Chet) Arnold, NEMO Program Co-Founder, Water Quality Educator for the University of Connecticut Department of Extension, and the Associate Director of UConn’s Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) (Haddam, CT) • Honorable Mary Ann Lisanti, Councilwoman, Past LGAC Chair and Harford County Council (Harford County, MD)• John Rozum, Land Use and Geospatial Technology Specialist, NOAA Coastal Services Center (Oakland, CA)• More speakers to come!